Michelle Edwards's Blog

Good morning! How's that coffee? How is your week going?

For those of you who are here, you must be here because you are checking out my books! I hope so at least. ;) 

As you can clearly see I'm a busy person (or at least I try to stay busy). Let me give you the cliff notes on how I got to this exact spot.

In May 2018 I joined the Crazy Ink group to check it out.
July 2018 Crazy Ink accepted my manuscript for Cursed Legacy (excited screams along with crying)
November 2018 Cursed Legacy was released! (insert more excited screams, some crying)
December 2018 my first Crazy Ink anthology piece was released in Kissing Midnight.
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In April, I signed to be an exclusive author with Crazy Ink.

Good morning! How’s that coffee treating you? On your second cup yet? I had one large cup today. Actually I drank out of my travel mug.

Good morning! Happy Wednesday or as some like to call it hump day!

We haven’t written for a while and that’s primarily because we’ve both been swamped. We’ve decided to take an adventure and move! Yes, you heard that right, no more sunshine hotter than hell state.

Not that we don’t like Florida. We do, and I LOVE being close to the cruise ports, but it just feels right. So James is taking a transfer to a North Carolina branch and we are in the process of finding a place to rent for a few months while we look to buy a home.

At first I was super excited, then not so much when my co-worker and I became close friends. However, even though we won’t be working together, I still see our friendship continuing so I’m pretty excited.

Now, some people say “But you just moved there why are you moving again?” or “Oh what, you couldn’t handle the heat?” Both good questions and here’s my answer. We are moving because we want to be closer to family. Being 5-6 hours from family will give us both that perfect combination of family time and non-family time. Right now it’s like 10% family time and 90% non-family time.

We can easily travel from North Carolina for the weekend to visit with family without issues. We could see them on holidays now. If there is an important event like a birthday party or get together we can actually have a good chance at attending. THIS is what I want. I want to be a part of my Godson’s life and not just be that person in Florida.

As for the Florida heat, yes it’s hot down here but we’ve gotten used to it. Florida is nice, it’s just far away from everyone we love and I do miss fall. I’m a strange one. I love flip flops like I’m a flip flop queen in my house. But at the same time I’m a hoodie girl. I love having hoodies and I love fall. I can totally wear flip flops in the fall with my hoodies!

So yeah, we are moving. Also I’ve been writing, a LOT. I’ve added seven new projects to my never ending list and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I actually should be writing now, but I really wanted to post something so everyone knew we were still alive.

I’m sure James will have a post soon pertaining to pest control.

I’ll have a traveling one here shortly about our adventure in moving. And I’ll be getting together a writing one to share upcoming projects with you all!

So as always, I’ll catch you later!

Hello beautiful! Hopefully you are having a great day.

Anyone here like to cook? We do. Sometimes we like to do something we’ve done before and other times we like to try something completely new. Just the other night we did something out of the box that we’ve never done before. While I like to chalk it up to us being adventurous, it was really because of Hello Fresh.

We did Hello Fresh for a while (and plan to do it again once we get things settled). But one thing I LOVED about Hello Fresh was that the meals were easy and we could easily do them again if we wanted.

If you’ve never done Hello Fresh it’s a weekly meal delivery. All fresh, to your door.  Plus the best part for me is it’s all measured out! I can’t stand using several different measuring cups for one meal.  Even though they are easy to wash out, I still think it’s annoying. Anyways, it takes you step by step on how to create meals.  Things we NEVER expected to like we actually did.

For example, James is not a pesto fan in anyway. He thinks it’s gross. (Go figure right because I’m Italian and love that shit). Anyways, one of the meals we received was Pesto Panko Chicken.  And he liked it! Whaaaaaat!? So now we recreate that because he actually enjoyed it.

Another one he likes that I never would have seen coming was Cherry glazed pork chops. He is highly against heating up fruit and putting it on food like that, but he liked that too!  Maybe they have something special in their food, I don’t know but I love that James will eat things that he’s never had.

We love trying new recipes, that’s why we like Hello Fresh so much because we are always guaranteed to have a new recipe to try. Which mean we aren’t eating the same stuff over and over again. I like variety!

This is what we tried as our ‘new’ recipe.

Parmesan Panko Chicken. We took two chicken breasts and sliced them in half long ways (making 4 thin chicken breasts). Created a mixture of Panko and grated parmesan in a bowl and then mixed one egg with water, salt, pepper and garlic powder (to taste). Coated each breast in the egg mix, then tossed it and coated it in the Parmesan and Panko mixture. Placed them on a baking sheet that we sprayed with baking spray. Baked for 15 minutes on one side, flip! 15 minutes on the other side. Chicken was cooked through and bam! It was amazing. The next time we make it I’ll post a photo on our Facebook page.

Well hello beautiful people! Hopefully you are having a great day/week!

I wanted to post about this in case anyone reading this is being told they are moving too fast or too slow in a relationship. I want anyone who is reading this to feel comfortable in their decisions.

Years ago when James and I started dating we moved in together after eight months, five months after that we bought a car together (primarily mine, he just needed to be on it to build his credit), and we began the search for a house. We were told we were moving way too fast and because of that people stopped talking to us.

So let me explain this. Whether I was with him or not, he would have bought a house. See the townhouse we were living in belonged to his mother. And it was falling apart. There was a part of the ceiling missing (I’m not entirely sure why, and I think James explained it once or several times). The tub would start to fill with water while you showered (which made me take quick showers). The carpets were in desperate need of replacing. It was a used house that had a lot of human and animal traction through it.

But he didn’t want to stay there. He didn’t want to fix it up and keep living there and honestly, I didn’t blame him. When my dad died I hated going home. I hated living in that house. James felt the same way. It’s one thing to miss a parent after they pass, especially if they pass unexpectedly. But it’s a complete different feeling to live in the house without them.

So either way, he was buying a new house because the townhouse was not a future option for him. I just ended up part of his present and future.

Every relationship moves at different speeds. Every couple is different. Some couples take years to even say I love you. Some couples spend years dating before making any big steps. Then you have couples who get married less than a year after meeting. It’s by the preference of the couple no one else except for that couple. Some people get engaged and spend years engaged before ever becoming married. And then some couples don’t get married at all. You aren’t wrong for any choice you make. As a couple you decide when you want to do something. You decide when and if you get married.  

So did we move too fast? Nope. We moved at a speed that was comfortable for us. We winged it a lot of the time.

If you are in a relationship and someone is telling you that you are moving too slow or too fast. Look them in the eyes, and tell them you are moving at a speed that is comfortable for your relationship. End of story. You owe them nothing. You owe it to yourself and your partner to make the best choices for your relationship. If that means living a part, then live a part. If you want to live together, then do it. Don’t allow others to dictate your relationship.

If they don’t like your answer, then maybe they aren’t meant to be a part of your future.

Top ten all year round way to prevent pests:

Make sure your house is sealed. (Door jams, window seals, ac lines, cable lines, etc)Don’t provide food sources. (Don’t leave food out on your counters or stoves overnight).Don’t horde cardboard. Check items you buy from yard sales, garage sales thoroughly before bringing into your house. When buying items online no matter where from, open package and discard shipping box immediately. (You boxes sit in a warehouse before being shipped to you, it could contain pests).If you have ants and/or roaches, make sure to use clorox or lysol wipes to wipe down countertops and appliances on a regular basis.Stored product pest or something you bring home from the store. (they come in your pastas, flour, grains, etc). The best way to remove them is to find what they came in and anything else they’ve contaminated and remove immediately. You also want to put anything not contaminated into sealed containers or plastic bags.Bed bugs are something that is brought into the house by you or a guest. Unfortunately the only way to get rid of them completely is to pay a professional because they can go without feeding on you for up to 18 months. Rodents are virtually blind. They can’t see it unless it’s right in front of them. But they have an excellent sense of smell. So if you get a rodent into your home the best thing to use to catch it are items that have a strong smell. (such as peanut butter, slim jims, or you can use things they’ve already fed on like dog food, or cat food).This is probably the most important one! If you already paying a pest specialist to come to your home, listen and follow the directions they give you. Afterall, you’re paying them to help get rid of your issue. They are only trying to help you.

There are things I’ve noticed now as an adult that I remember from when I was a child and not caring about.

Like what to eat for dinner. I can’t tell you how many times I complained or asked why do we need all of this? My parents always made sure we had a meat of some kind, a starch (usually rice, potatoes or mac and cheese), and a vegetable. Unless it was a casserole, but you get the point. I just never understood why we ate like that. As I got older I started to realize more and more that it was a balance thing. It was good to have all three of those things on my plate. Especially since there was some people who would only eat say frozen mac and cheese for dinner.  Now I will be the first to say that mac and cheese is definitely the food of the Gods, but frozen? Ew.

Growing up I had really long hair. For a ten year old, having hair down to your butt sucked! It was a pain to take care of, I always ended up with knots in my hair so my mom had to sit on the couch and brush them out with conditioner. So when I was able to get my hair cut short (and by short I mean shoulder length), I jumped at the chance. I’ve always kept my hair close to shoulder length but now I want to see how I would feel with long hair again. So here I am growing it out.

There are foods I like now that I hated as I was growing up, and I’ve also realized that you really do accumulate stuff over time. We’ve been living in our house for just over three years.  When we moved here we moved with pretty much all of our personal belongings, our bed, a spare bed, his dresser, my dresser, his chair, a bookshelf and our televisions. We didn’t really have a couch (well we did, but we didn’t move it from our old house). We didn’t bring the coffee table or any other furniture. So when we moved in down here we bought a lot of stuff like a coffee table, side tables, etc.

Now as we talk about the possibility of moving again I can’t help but get excited but also sigh a bit because we have so much stuff now! Like we have two round dining room tables (one we use for mail, my purse, etc), we have dressers and tons of tote boxes. Plus decorations for the holidays, and two massive bookshelves that we use for dvd and games. And I’m just like wow. This is what stressed my parents out so much when we had to move. Like It’s just us two, but my parents had four people to worry about.  Oh and we have dogs! Do you know what moving does to them?! Oi Vey.

I remember when we moved to Florida. We had Legacy (my dog who has moved so much in her life she’s used to it). His cat and dog – Gunner (who has since passed). It was stressful for them. They had no idea what we were doing or why. Then they were stuck in the cars for 17 plus hours (we did stop to let Gunner and Legacy go potty but Gunner got annoyed having to get back into the car – and well I can’t blame him). Fat cat had a travel litter box that he used.

So yeah as an adult I understand now. I understand a lot more than I did growing up and honestly, I wish I had known a little of this (especially around high school). It would have been nice to prepare myself a bit for stuff like this.  

So many things have changed in my mindset, my tastebuds. I think that’s with most people. But let me ask you. What has changed since you were growing up?

One of the best days of the army is when you ETS (end time of service) or retire.

Start at the beginning you go through the MEPS process. When you arrive you get you some basic paperwork to fill out, get your physical, drug test which seems like all day then get sworn in to the military. When you arrive at your basic duty station you think finally I’m going to be a soldier but not yet. There are a few things you have to do first. One time for a haircut (shaved head), two you do a little shopping like socks, soap, shoes, and tighty whities. Three time to get fitted for uniforms, boots, and a few other things. Fourth it’s time for shots and a lot of them for almost anything you can think of. Fifth now it’s time for gear, you helmet, flak vest, and all the other fun stuff you never know you needed to learn to be a soldier. Last and finally the bus ride to your unit and the last of the calm before the storm.

Time to get off the bus and the yelling and name calling begins. This is the first time you think to yourself is this really what I want to do. For the next 3 months you get yelled at, broken down and slowly built back up to be a soldier. This is where you first start to learn about the people around you how to work as a team and even how to trust a stranger with you life. Then comes AIT (advanced individual training) where you earn you MOS( day job mine was 95B then 31B military police) and the drill sergeants have finally hopefully backed off a little by now. Graduation day you think yes I’m finally a soldier now I can do anything and I’m off to bigger and better things.

Your first duty station now time to start all over again with a whole new group of people. This is also when you learn that the real army isn’t like basic at all. You learn that as long as you do what  you’re supposed to do their is no one yelling at you for someone else screwing up and it’s more like a day job. Most of your NCO( non-commissioned officers) aren’t complete assholes unless you piss them off. If your like I was it will be your only duty station I never got to go anywhere else except for deployments. This is where you start making friends with the people around you and building the bond that make them like family. You see the same people everyday all day and if you live in the barracks you never stop seeing them no matter how hard you try. I have some stories but i’ll get to those and other blogs if my wife lets me.

Now if you were lucky enough to deploy or unlucky enough to depends on how you look at it this is where those bond I mentioned earlier are strengthened to the point where they are no longer friends they are your brothers and sisters. I have had the privilege to deploy 3 times, once to Bagram Afghanistan, and twice to Iraq, once to the Mosul in the diala provence and the other to near Baghdad area. During my time in the army both in the states at my duty station and while deployed I had the privilege to serve with so many great people who like I said are now my brothers and sisters, some of which are gone to soon( can tell you more in future blogs). I have almost all of them tattooed on me a reminder of lives cut short and to carry on there memories with me always.

After all is said and done you eventually come the end of your career in the military whether that be your time to retire or ets after you meet you enlistment requirements. Personally I chose to ets of because I had seen enough death in my time and spent just about as much time in the middle east as I had in the states. Once I made my decision it was like a massive weight lifted off my mind to know I had survived everything and I would not have to go back and tempt fate with my life anymore. When you are going through the process of getting out of the army its kinda weird because you know that part of your life is coming to an end. As your going along your checklist and you see that you’re almost done it finally sets in that your not going to have the brotherhood that you have had for last years of service. When you finally get your DD 214 it’s a final copy of everything you did during your enlistment and sign out of the army its bitter sweet, because now you know you’re out of that world and a free man but you know that your not apart of everyday brotherhood anymore. You can still call or talk on social media to most of the people you served with but everything is slightly different but it’s still nice to have.

I want to talk about passions and distractions because lately it seems like more and more people are running into this ‘issue’.

So I’m going to use my passion (writing) as an example, but really you can imply this to any passion YOU have.

First, do you have a passion? I write. I love writing and I always have. I was the kid in the back of the bookstore sitting on the floor reading a book while my mom shopped for other books. I’m the kid that didn’t go to parties but instead stayed home on a Friday night to write with friends online. Grounded? Sure! I’ll just go read a book or two! I never leave my house without a book in some form.

Writing is such a huge part of my life that I wouldn’t be me without it.

Now there are times where I let my writing get stuck on the back burner. I let other things such as games and people distract me.

What bugs me the most is when someone says “I need (or want) to get something (related to their passion) done.”

So naturally I reply with “Great! You should!”

And their response? “I’m tired.” or “I started playing a video game, it’s distracting me.” or “I can’t think of anything to do.” or SOMETHING along those lines.

So basically you WANT to work on something that brings you joy but instead you are letting other things distract you?

I’m tired every damn day. No joke. I’m up at 6am (which may be late for some people), and out the door by 6:50. I’m at work by 7:30 and I’ve started my work day at 8am. I work until 4:30 and then back home to help cook dinner, take care of the dogs and the house, and THEN we get to sit down. Probably close to 6:30 by the time that happens. You know what I do then? Answer questions from clients. Read up on the industry news (because you know the world is always changing). Write (because I love to write and I have deadlines). I write and work our business until bedtime.

First let me start by saying that I work hard, my husband works hard so on the days that I do actually ‘take off’ of EVERYTHING, I deserve it.

Second, I do complain that I need to meet my deadlines sometimes. But that doesn’t mean that I will keep letting things distract me. When I used to let a video game distract me from writing, I didn’t write. I played all night and didn’t even open my word document. You know what I did to stop that? I DELETE THE GAME! I deleted the very thing distracting me. And guess what? I’m writing daily. I hardly have games on my phone because they distract me. FACEBOOK is a huge distraction and one that I can’t just shut off (because you know I run a business and all).

Point is, stop letting crap distract you. If a game distracts you, delete the damn thing (or if you are seriously against that, at least make it SUPER hard to log into it. Like put the shortcut in a folder and make it so you have to click on about fifty other things to get to it).

If you keep letting stuff distract you then you probably need to ask yourself if you really love the thing you claim you are so passionate about. In my honest opinion if you don’t care to put in the time and dedication to something you love, then you probably don’t love it very much.

Good morning! Let’s switch gears from my last post and talk travel. I could talk for hours and hours about travel (especially cruising).  

Growing up my parents always made sure that we took one big (or semi big) family vacation every summer. So throughout the year my parents would put money aside (usually in an envelope inside of the clock).  Then when it came time to go on vacation the money would come out and we’d go. We went all over the place.

One year we took our packed mini van (7 people and their luggage) to New York and Niagara falls (Canadian side). Instead of staying in hotels we camped which at the time was fun because I had two of my friends with me at the time.  

Another time we went to North Carolina and then up to Ohio.  Gem mining in NC and Cedar Point in Ohio. That was the year my best friend came with us.  It was a lot of driving but damn did we have fun.

Then of course one year we came down to Disney.

Another time we rented a condo in Bethany Beach, DE. That was pretty cool and relaxing. I mean we could cook our own meals if we wanted, and there was a pool there. Plus my grandparents came to visit.  

My uncle used to rent a place in Bethany Beach every year. It was always fun because we were the odd ones out and lived in Maryland while everyone else lived in New Jersey. So it was cool because we were able to visit with my cousins and family.

So clearly growing up I’ve traveled a little here and there. Only when I became an adult did I start to travel more.

For James though he didn’t do much traveling. His said his mom would take them all to the beach or to a theme park, and as a single mom raising four kids I’m sure it wasn’t easy. Heck, it wasn’t easy for my two parents to raise two kids.
He did travel (if you can call it that) a little bit while he was in the Army. I’m sure he’ll go into more details about his Army days at a later date.

The biggest travel for me (and James) came in 2014 when we went on a cruise out of Galveston, Texas. Ah our first cruise and the start of something amazing!

That cruise we stopped in Cozumel, Belize and Roatan. That cruise started our love of cruising and it’s the reason that we have a travel agency today.

Funny story: We had talked about cruising again on our flight home. We thought every other year would be great. Come the following year and I realized I had an entire week of vacation so we opted to book another cruise. This time a five night out of Jacksonville, Florida.

Is cruising for everyone? Nope. Do I think you should at least try it? Yes.

Here’s why: I was terrified, and when I say terrified I mean full on panic mode and I was coming up with ways in my head to not get on the ship, but I did and I LOVED it. From the moment I stepped onto the ship I loved it.

Now James and I go on at least one cruise a year and travel as much as we can. As a couple it’s nice to get away, to have that time away from home and everything to just relax and refocus. Even getting out for the day and going somewhere can help.

Always remember that as a couple (or a single person, don’t worry, I see you there too), it’s nice to get away. Take some time to yourself or your relationship. As a person in a relationship or not, you need that time to reflex, relax and remind yourself that no matter what life throws at you, you’ve got this.